Written Answers Nos. 191-211
191. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the sponsor of Ireland’s participation in Marché International des Professionnels de l'Immobilier (MIPIM) Conference; the value of the sponsorship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17859/26]
View answerThere is no single solution to the funding and cost challenges in housing supply. Delivering Homes, Building Communities sets out a range of interdependent and complementary actions that seek to address these challenges.
The new Plan recognises that even with the largest housing budget in the history of the State providing unprecedented levels of investment in housing, Government cannot fund all of the €20bln development finance needed annually to achieve the delivery of 300,000 new homes by 2030. The majority of the finance required will need to be sourced from private sources. It is imperative that patient and sustainable private capital is attracted, including from international sources, in line with practice by our European neighbours and beyond.
Under Delivering Homes, Building Communities, my Department, in partnership with other key Government Departments and agencies, will lead a co-ordinated programme of stakeholder engagement on the role of private capital, including institutional investment, in supporting additional housing supply.
In that regard, the Irish Government is leading a coordinated national presence at MIPIM 2026, one of the world’s leading real estate and investment forums.
The organisation of the Ireland Pavilion at MIPIM is being overseen by my Department, working closely via a joint working group with the Department of Finance, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund and the Housing Agency.
Having reviewed how other countries and cities fund their attendance at MIPIM and in line with that, private sector sponsors are funding the event costs of Ireland at MIPIM 2026.
In the case of the Irish Pavilion, the sponsors have been coordinated through two key representative bodies, Irish Institutional Property and Property Industry Ireland.
Sponsors include AIB, Ardstone, Bank of Ireland, Cairn, Evara, Glenveagh, Avenue Capital Group, A&L Goodbody, I-RES, Kennedy Wilson, KPMG, Lioncor, Matheson and McCann Fitzgerald. These organisations have a shared interest in MIPIM and in increasing the pool of private investment which is available for funding new residential and complementary development in Ireland.
192. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection to establish a funding scheme for Traveller liaison workers networks to be established in order to promote the employment of Travellers to specific employers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17245/26]
View answerThis is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality as it funds six local offices around Ireland to provide the Special Initiative for Travellers (SIT) employment support service.
The Department of Social Protection proactively engages with the Traveller community through its nationwide Intreo and Intreo Partner network, a number of Traveller-specific CE schemes, enhanced eligibility criteria for members of the Traveller and Roma communities for some scheme, and through the Department's Traveller and Roma Employment Services Consultative Forum.
193. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection to hold further Traveller employment events, similar to Job Week 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17246/26]
View answerUnder the Pathways to Work Strategy, my Department is committed to hosting two national Intreo Work and Skills campaigns annually (previously referred to as Job Week), each of which comprises a series of recruitment and information events nationwide.
The objective of Intreo Work and Skills is to provide opportunities for employment for jobseekers, coupled with education and training options to enhance employability. Invitations are issued to those on the Live Register in each locality. In addition, Intreo works closely with external stakeholders to promote relevant events with their service users, including organisations that provide supports to the Traveller and Roma communities.
The most recent Intreo Work and Skills campaign took place from 29 September to 10 October 2025. A total of 49 recruitment and information events took place. Four of these events specifically had a special focus on the members of the Traveller and Roma communities.
A Work and Skills Campaign is taking place from 3 March to 13 March and details of all events are available on Gov.ie.
194. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the absence of dedicated pension provision for long-term foster carers who may have reduced capacity to build up contributory pensions due to their caring responsibilities (details supplied); and if he will introduce measures, including credited contributions or a specific pension scheme, to ensure that foster carers are not disadvantaged in retirement as a consequence of their service. [17260/26]
View answerMatters relating to foster care are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.
This Government acknowledges the important role that carers, including foster carers, play and remains fully committed to supporting them. The State Pension (Contributory) system provides a range of measures to recognise caring periods outside of paid employment, such as PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards, and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate.
Foster carers are entitled to benefit from these measures on the same basis as other carers and parents. They may qualify if they are in receipt of Child Benefit. If they are not in receipt of Child Benefit, they can still qualify for Homemaker’s Scheme or HomeCaring Periods provided the caring periods are confirmed by Tusla.
Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension (Contributory), particularly in meeting the minimum requirement of 10 years' paid contributions.
Since January 2024, long-term carer's contributions can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for a period of 20 years or more. These contributions are treated the same as paid contributions for State Pension (Contributory) entitlement only and can be used to fill any gaps in a person's contribution record, including satisfying the minimum 520 contributions required for eligibility.
Foster carers who have cared for an incapacitated dependent or dependents for over 20 years also benefit from this provision.
These measures assist foster carers to access the State pension system and recognise the years spent caring for children in the same way as biological or adoptive parents, while ensuring that the system remains sustainable.
Any future changes to State Pension system would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context, including the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
195. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if carer’s allowance is an income or an allowance; if clarified as an income, the reason it is not subject to minimum wage legislation; or if clarified as an allowance the reason it is subject to tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17272/26]
View answerMy department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on these payments in 2026 is estimated at over €2.2 billion.
The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which my department provides income support to carers. Expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2026 is estimated to exceed €1.4 billion. There are currently more than 105,000 carers receiving this payment.
Carer’s Allowance is means-tested, does not require social insurance contributions, and is designed to target support to those most in need. The purpose of the scheme is to financially support people whose capacity to work is significantly reduced because of their full-time caring responsibilities. It is a payment is for people who are providing full time care to people who are in need of such care. It is an income support payment. It is not, and was never intended to be, a payment for caring.
In order to satisfy the full time care requirement a person must be providing care for at least 35 hours per week. However, that is not to suggest that the payment is paid at an hourly rate - it is not. It is a weekly income support payment like many others and not a wage; it is not appropriate to compare the rate of payment with the National Minimum Wage.
People in receipt of Carer's Allowance may also qualify for additional supports from my department. The annual Carer's Support Grant is paid for each person being cared for. This grant which is paid in June has been increased to €2,000, its highest level ever, and it is not subject to tax.
There are a number of social welfare payments including Carer’s Allowance which, depending on a person’s circumstances, may be liable to income tax. The Department of Social Protection makes the payment to the individual without deducting tax.
The tax treatment of income, including social welfare payments, is a matter for the Minister for Finance and is considered in the context of the annual Budget.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
196. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the engagement of his Department with the project (details supplied) aimed at strengthening the role of civil society organisations which provide access to information, advice and active help (free legal aid) services to citizens with regards to their rights, with a view to creating a European network of citizens advice organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17335/26]
View answerThe Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body, under the aegis of my Department, that is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services.
The National Association of Citizens Information Services (NACIS) had been a Partner in the Triple A (Access to information, Advice and Active help) project which aimed to spread a Citizens Information & Advice model to the Western Balkans and Turkey since it's foundation in 2013.
This EU Funded project, led by the European Citizens Action Service in Brussels, aimed to support Access to information, Advice and Active help for citizens in the region and seeks to promote the role of civil society in giving citizens a voice and influencing government policy on key reforms and their implementation.
The principal role of NACIS included organising Study Visits for pilot projects and providing mentoring support to projects in Bosnia and Albania. As well as transferring knowledge on the Irish model and presenting and facilitating various workshops. NACIS has also had input into the Triple A Guidelines and Strategy, Calls for Proposals, Quality Standards, selection of pilot projects, creation of work-plan templates and mentoring documents and has participated in Steering Group Meetings with Triple A Partners.
NACIS is no longer in existence and this project concluded in 2016 at a conference in Brussels when the main project outcomes and achievements were presented.
197. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the engagement of his Department, or the engagement of any agency under the aegis of his Department with the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) accreditation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17336/26]
View answerThe European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) incorporates a form of accreditation which provides a framework for assessing performance in an organisation. There is no record of my Department having engagements in relation to this framework. The Department has accreditation from the National Standards Authority of Ireland and from international frameworks such as ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) and ISSA (International Social Security Association) in a wide range of areas.
The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal.
Beginning in 2012 and concluding in 2016, the Citizens Information Board and all companies then funded by the Citizens Information Board completed the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Gold Star Service Excellence Programme. This programme was a customised entry-level quality programme which had a strong focus on customers, customer consultation and customer satisfaction.
The other statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department have not had engagements with the EFQM accreditation.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
198. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has conducted any assessment on the viability of introducing a universal basic income model including the financial costs of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17358/26]
View answerThe viability of introducing a universal basic income model, including the financial costs of same is not a matter for the Minister for Social Protection.
The Low Pay Commission has previously collaborated with the ESRI to examine a universal basic income for Ireland. The Low Pay Commission is the responsibility of Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and, as such, further work undertaken by the Low Pay Commission on Universal Basic Income would be a matter for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
A three-year Basic Income for the Arts Pilot was conducted from September 2022 to August 2025. The evaluation of the pilot and the design of the successor scheme to the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot is a matter for the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport.
199. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Clongriffin apartment residents in Dublin 13 who applied for the emergency response payment scheme for storm Chandra before it closed on 18 February 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17400/26]
View answerThe Emergency Response Payment prevents hardship by providing income-tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who are unable to meet emergency costs for essential needs, household items and structural repair.
In dealing with emergency events the department generally adopts a three-stage approach:
Stage 1 of the scheme is to address hardship in the immediate aftermath of emergency events and provides emergency support payments to cover immediate and essential costs such as the purchase of food, clothing, bedding and essential personal items for immediate use.
Stage 2 involves the replacement of white goods, basic furniture items and other essential household items.
Stage 3 covers the cost of essential structural repairs to a person’s primary residence such as plastering, dry lining, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring, and painting.
The scheme does not provide a general compensation payment for damage or losses incurred as a consequence of a weather event. The payment does not cover:
• losses covered by an insurance policy, or which could reasonably be expected to have been covered by an insurance policy.
• loss of items considered not essential, or luxury items.
• commercial, agricultural, or business losses.
• structural loss or damage to rented accommodation.
• any additional properties that are not occupied and lived in as the primary residence.
• repairs or replacement to vehicles damaged as a result of a weather event.
• The provision of de-humidifiers and skips as these are provided by the relevant Local Authority, where required
As claim data is not collated by address, my Department is unable to provide details of ERP claims received from Clongriffin apartment residents.
Stages 2 and 3 of the payment remain open and any person who has had damage to their primary residence can still make a claim.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
200. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the illness benefit payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17428/26]
View answerMy Department received an application for Illness Benefit from the person concerned on the 12th March 2025. Unfortunately, they did not qualify for payment of Illness Benefit as they did not satisfy the certification conditions.
In order to qualify for Illness Benefit, one of the requirements is that medical evidence in the form of Incapacity for Work certificate must be supplied with the application.
A letter issued on the 17th March 2025 to the address that was provided on the online application form. The letter explained that the claim cannot be processed as the Department received no medical evidence. The person concerned was advised to contact their GP for a Certificate of Incapacity for Work.
The claim was withdrawn on the 26th March 2025 as the person failed to reply to the Department.
In relation to November 2025, there is no Illness Benefit application on our system and no Illness Benefit claim is recorded for this period.
If the person concerned is in urgent need of financial assistance, it is open for them to contact the Community Welfare Officer in their local Intreo office to enquire about assistance under the means-tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
201. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial supports are available for people on low income to pay for a reconnection of their electricity. [17460/26]
View answerUnder the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet expenses that an eligible person cannot pay from their weekly income, personal and/or household resources. The ANP scheme is demand led and administered by Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in the Community Welfare Service (CWS), taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
If a person is experiencing financial difficulties, it is open to them to make an application for assistance by completing a SWA1 form and providing necessary supporting documentation including relevant financial statements and confirmation of engagement with their electricity provider. This form is available in all Intreo Centres and Branch Offices and can also be requested by calling the National CWS freephone line at 0818 60 70 80 or at www.eforms.gov.ie/en/forms/5. Alternatively, if a person has a verified MyGovID account, they can apply for an ANP at www.MyWelfare.ie.
Information on all my Department’s schemes and payments is available at www.gov.ie.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
202. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection when the cost of disability payment will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17465/26]
View answerThe Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing more permanent measures.
The Programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people including a commitment to introducing a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment. These commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the overall policy and budgetary context.
Under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, which was developed with significant input from Disability groups and advocates, it was agreed to establish a Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability. While it is led by my Department, it includes other Government departments in this cross-government endeavour, as well as disabled people and their advocates.
On Friday 20 February, I launched a public consultation process on how a cost of disability payment can best be delivered. It will run until the 7th April. All interested parties are encouraged to visit gov.ie/COD where they will find guidance on how to engage with the consultation in whatever format best suits them. The associated guidance document sets out a number of questions that people may wish to consider in preparing their submissions.
Following on from the consultation, on the 13th May, I will chair a Cost of Disability Strategic Focus Network Summit. The Summit will provide a space for key stakeholders such as Disabled Person's Organisations and officials from across government to input into the design of a new cost of disability payment. It will also provide a space to identify ways that all Government Departments and Agencies can make changes to lower the cost of disability in the future. This whole of government approach is important as we know addressing these costs is not simply a matter of income supports alone but require improvements in the delivery of and access to key services.
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
203. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures his Department is taking to enable payment of child benefit to be split between parents, in view of the fact that modern families may require this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17856/26]
View answerChild Benefit is a monthly payment to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their nineteenth birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability. It is paid in respect of almost 1.3 million children.
As a universal payment, Child Benefit assists parents with the cost associated with raising children and contributes towards alleviating child poverty.
Child Benefit is paid to the person with whom the child normally resides. Where a child spends time across two households they are considered to reside in the household where they spend the majority of the time.
Legislation does not provide for splitting the payment between both parents, even in instances where the child splits their time evenly between both households. In cases where the parents have an equal custody arrangement, the payment is awarded to the mother.
There are a number of reasons that this policy position has been maintained:
• First, various international studies have found that, on average, when the Child Benefit payment is made to the mother it results in more money spent on the child than when it is paid to the father. For example, a 2017 article published in the International Tax and Public Finance journal found that more money is spent on food when the mother is in control of child benefits compared to when it is jointly controlled. Similarly, researchers found that when the United Kingdom replaced the Family Allowance Payment to the father with a Children’s Allowance payment to the mother, it resulted in greater spending on children’s clothing.
• Second, SAFE IRELAND, which works with more than 40 specialist domestic violence member organisations across the country, has pointed out that domestic violence, which is overwhelmingly experienced by women, often includes economic abuse and that control of household income can be one of the ways in which this type of abuse manifests itself. Many argue that directing the Child Benefit payment to the mother can act to mitigate the impact of this kind of abuse.
• Finally, in split custody arrangements, it would be extremely challenging to split the payment proportionately on a case-by-case basis. In the first instance both parties would need to agree to the proportion of Child Benefit to be allocated, which could be difficult to achieve after a relationship breakdown. The agreed proportion would also be open to challenge if the child varied the time spent with a particular parent around school holidays or other occasions.
It is important that our policies continue to reflect the society they were designed to serve. Any changes to current Child Benefit policy would require the amendment of primary legislation and would need careful consideration in terms of unintended consequences.
204. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the evidence base, if any, his Department has on the impact of tightening family reunification rules on retention and recruitment problems identified in the Department of Finance’s Future Forty: Ireland’s Demographic Outlook published in September 2025; the engagement across departments to rectify this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17864/26]
View answer205. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his attention has been drawn to the impact of tightened family reunification criteria on the labour market, as detailed in the NESC (Council Paper No.171, December 2025) and the Future Forty: Ireland’s Demographic Outlook published in September 2025: whether he has raised concerns about labour market impacts and the ability of businesses to recruit suitable staff with his Government colleagues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17865/26]
View answer212. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the evidence base, if any, his Department has on the impact of tightening family reunification rules on retention and recruitment problems identified in the Department of Finance’s Future Forty: Ireland’s Demographic Outlook published in September 2025; the way in which this issue was considered in the revision of the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17863/26]
View answer213. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department assessed the knock on impact of the new policy on family reunification will have a knock on impact on the recruitment of non-EEA workers in Ireland, particularly those on general employment permits; whether they carried out an SME test on the policy; the steps his Department is taking to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17867/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 204, 205, 212 and 213 together.
My Department completed a comprehensive review of the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy and the final review report was published on 26 November 2025, see link:
[Final_Report_on_the_Review_of_the_Non-EEA_Family_Reunification_Policy.pdf]. (www.assets.gov.ie/static/documents/160c592a/Final_Report_on_the_Review_of_the_Non-EEA_Family_Reunification_Policy.pdf)
I can advise the Deputy that the existing income requirements for employment permit holders, including General Employment Permit (GEP) holders, to be joined by their spouses, partners and minor children were unchanged by the review of the Family Reunification Policy. Therefore, there was no need to carry out an SME test with regard to this review as it had no significant negative impact on the labour market.
Under the Family Reunification Policy, a GEP holder must have a gross income in excess of €30,000 in the previous year to sponsor a spouse or partner, which remains a fixed figure which has not changed since 2013 and which is now below the Minimum Annual Remuneration required for all types of new GEP.
GEP holders must also have a gross income in excess of €44,300 to sponsor one child, with the threshold increasing for each subsequent child. The income thresholds for children, as before, remain indexed against eligibility for the Working Family Payment (WFP) based on the number of children a sponsor wishes to bring. This means that the threshold to sponsor one child will soon rise to €50,200 in line with increases to the eligibility threshold for WFP.
For such applicants, the requirement to produce financial records to support an application has reduced from two years to one year, to align with the existing one year waiting period for sponsors who are GEP holders. Additionally, the revised policy extends access to employment without the need for an employment permit to children, over the age of 16, who have been granted family reunification. These are children of, for example, Critical Skills Employment Permit holders, and GEP holders.
A number of measures were taken in the review to simplify the Policy and to improve access to the labour market for those coming to Ireland with key skills. With effect from 15 May 2024, the first part of the review was implemented in that eligible spouses and partners of General Employment Permit and Intra-Corporate Transferee Employment Permit holders, who have been granted family reunification in accordance with the Policy, are now registered on a Stamp 1G permission. This allows the holder to take up employment without the need to obtain a separate Employment Permit.
The tightening of the Policy, as referred to by the Deputy, principally related to increasing and indexing income thresholds to bring adult dependents, such as elderly parents.
My Department carried out in-depth consultation with other affected Departments as part of the review, including at a senior official level through the Strategic Migration Policy Group. This group includes the Departments of Enterprise, Social Protection, Housing, Further and Higher Education, Finance, Education, Health, Rural and Community Affairs and the Department of the Taoiseach. The “Future Forty” fiscal and economic outlook was discussed at this group, and consideration was given to the ability of businesses to recruit staff.
The annual revision of the policy in future, in terms of uprating financial thresholds, will provide an opportunity for this issue to be kept under ongoing review in terms of the changing levels of both the Minimum Annual Remuneration rates for employment permits and also the Working Family Payment (WFP).
206. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the nature of the exceptional and compelling circumstances that a letter issued by his Department (details supplied) requires in order to waive the five-year reckonable residence requirement for refugee applicants for Irish citizenship. [17282/26]
View answerApplications from refugees for a certificate of naturalisation are considered under Section 16(1)(g) of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. Section 16 of the Act gives discretion to waive the statutory conditions in certain circumstances.
Given all applications are assessed on an individual basis and the individual circumstances, it is open to any applicant, regardless of their background, to provide any information they deem relevant for the Minister’s consideration.
207. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the status of the recommendation of the High Level Taskforce on Mental Health and Addiction; and when the 2024 progress report will be published. [17314/26]
View answerThe High Level Task Force (HLTF) on Mental Health and Addiction published their final report in September 2022. The report identified where further improvements can be implemented in order to enhance the treatment available to those with mental health and addiction difficulties within the criminal justice system. It outlined 61 recommendations to be implemented from 2022 to 2027.
The First Annual Progress Report of the HLTF was published in February 2024 covering September 2022–September 2023. The Second Annual Progress Report covering the period September 2023 - September 2024 was published in July 2025 and is available at the following link: [gov.ie/en/department-of-health/publications/high-level-taskforce-on-mental-health-and-addiction-1st-annual-progress-report-september-2022-2023/]
The key developments cited in the progress report include:
• Roll out of Mental Health First Aid training to AGS members nationally.
• Development of the Community Access Support Team (CAST) pilot project in the Limerick Garda Division.
• Publication of the First Progress Report on the Irish Prison Service Health Needs Assessment (HNA).
• Progress in developing a pilot Dual Diagnosis service in Cork Prison.
• The launch of the Mental Health Engagement Framework 2024 – 2028.
Work continues to monitor and further progress the recommendations of the HLTF, and the Third Annual Progress Report is currently being prepared.
208. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total expenditure incurred by the State over the past five years in transporting newly arrived international protection applicants from points of entry, including Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock airports, to a centre (details supplied); the expenditure by transport type including private coach hire, contracted transport providers, taxis, security or Garda escort, and any related logistical costs; the total number of persons transported under such arrangements during the same period; the average cost per person transported; and which Department or agency bore the cost of this transport. [17354/26]
View answerThe State provides accommodation and basic supports to people applying for international protection under EU and Irish law.
A person applying for international protection may make their application either at a designated port of entry, or they may lodge their initial application directly with the International Protection Office (IPO) after arriving in the State.
Information with respect to transporting newly arrived international protection applicants from points of entry, including Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock airports to the accommodation centre referred to over the last 5 years is not available.
A significant proportion of international protection applicants applying for the first time presented directly at the IPO rather than at points of entry.
Over 33,000 people are currently resident in 309 IPAS accommodation centres nationwide and there are transport costs associated with the provision of State accommodation.
These costs arise within the IPAS accommodation system and involves groups of residents who may be arriving, leaving and moving to different centres each week, for a range of reasons. Transport is required as part of some resident moves, and also can be provided for specific urgent needs, e.g. travel to urgent medical care appointments where public transport is not practicable.
Transport costs for 2025 of €2,223,717.55 were reported within the IPAS Accommodation system centrally. In addition to this, some transport costs will be arranged and included as part of overall IPAS accommodation centre contracts, and detailed information on this as a separate cost item, or by specific accommodation centre, is not available.
209. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide the passenger manifests for an aircraft for all of the times it landed in Ireland (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17466/26]
View answerI cannot comment on individual cases.
I can advise the Deputy that the Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department is responsible for frontline immigration functions at Dublin Airport only. Immigration Control at other airports and other ports of entry are the responsibility of An Garda Síochána.
In general terms, when any non-EEA national presents at a border, an Immigration Officer must determine whether that person should be granted leave to land and gain entry to the State. In performing their duties, an Officer is required to consider all of the circumstances of the individual at the time of entry in line with the provisions of the Immigration Act 2004. This request to enter Ireland is considered in the same manner whether the person travelled via commercial or private airline.
My Department does not hold passenger information such that the Deputy’s query could be answered.
In relation to the number of times a particular aircraft has landed in the state, this is not a matter under the remit of my Department.
210. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the supports in place for young people who were born in Ireland, brought up in State care but not considered citizens due to the change in State law in 2005. [17670/26]
View answerAll applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually based on the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
The Act requires applications for naturalisation on behalf of minors to be made by a parent or guardian of the minor.
When a minor is the subject of a care order, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, takes on the role and responsibility of providing for that child but does not become the child's guardian within the meaning of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, as amended. For this reason, applications for naturalisation made by Tusla on behalf of minors do not meet the requirements of the Act.
Once a person reaches 18 years of age, it is open to them to submit an application for naturalisation in their own right.
Further information on the citizenship entitlement of minors, how to apply for naturalisation and other resources are available at the following link: [www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/]
211. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of domestic abuse incidents reported in County Wexford in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to-date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17695/26]
View answerCombatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) remains an absolute priority for this Government, for me as Minister, and for the Garda Commissioner. 'Zero Tolerance,' the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV), set out an ambitious, five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept DSGBV or the attitudes which underpin these crimes.
An Garda Síochána prioritise and proactively respond to incidents of domestic abuse. The nationwide roll out of Divisional Protective Service Units (DPSUs) ensures that when victims of crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence present to Gardaí, they are met with a consistently high standard of specialist, sensitive, professional and expert assistance. I can confirm that that there is now a DPSU in every Garda Division.
An Garda Síochána have supplied the below table which offers a breakdown of Domestic Abuse incidents reported for the Wexford/Wicklow Division from 2022 to 2025. It should be noted that An Garda Síochána provide data based on revised divisional structures which have been implemented under the Garda Operating Model. As such, specific data for County Wexford is not available. An Garda Síochána have further advised that data for the year-to-date is not yet available.
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2025 |
|
Wexford/Wicklow |
2,436 |
2,529 |
2,874 |
3,348 |
Domestic Abuse Incidents include:
• Breach of Barring Order
• Breach of Emergency Barring Orders
• Breach of Interim Barring Order
• Breach of Protection Order
• Breach of Safety Order
• Breach of Barring/Protection Orders
• Coercive Control”, “Domestic – No Offence Identified or any incident with a domestic abuse motive.
My Department is continuing to work with agencies in the criminal justice system to strengthen trust and confidence in the system, so that victims will feel more assured in coming forward to report what has happened to them. I want to reassure anyone who is subject to, or at risk of, domestic or sexual abuse that practical help is always available. I urge anyone who is in fear or danger due to domestic abuse or any other crime, to please contact the Gardaí as soon as it is safe to do so.
